At the RSAC 2024, George Kurtz, CEO and Co-founder of CrowdStrike, energized the audience with a candid keynote on the evolution and future of security operations. Opening with a lighthearted selfie, Kurtz quickly transitioned to discussing the critical challenges in cybersecurity, emphasizing the need for rapid response to security breaches. He shared startling statistics from CrowdStrike’s observations, including a record breakout time of just two minutes and seven seconds for cyber attackers to move laterally within a system.
Kurtz highlighted the outdated nature of traditional Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, which struggle under the volume of data and the speed required for modern cyber defense. He introduced the concept of Next-Gen SIEM and the AI-native Security Operations Center (SOC), which integrates advanced threat detection, automated responses, predictive security, and workflow automation directly into security platforms.
The discussion covered the “data paradox,” where security teams face the dilemma of wanting to capture and store vast amounts of data but are hindered by high costs. Kurtz proposed solutions like AI-driven data parsing and normalization to address these challenges effectively.
Moreover, Kurtz explored the transformative potential of generative AI in security, which could automate complex processes and enhance decision-making within SOCs. He envisioned a future where security systems not only detect and respond to threats more efficiently but also predict and prevent them through advanced data analysis and adaptive learning.
Concluding his talk, Kurtz reaffirmed CrowdStrike’s commitment to stopping breaches and urged the security community to embrace AI tools to stay ahead of cyber threats. His message was clear: leveraging AI in cybersecurity is not just an option but a necessity to evolve and strengthen defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
